Devices are known which measure the light absorption (optical information) of a serum sample (sample) using a probe (first optical information acquiring section), and thereafter optically measure the serum sample (main measurement) using clinical detection device (second optical information acquiring section) (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,468).
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,468 transports a serum sample that is measurable by a clinical analysis device to a clinical analysis device based on the light absorbance of the sample after having measured the light absorbance of the sample within a needle by illuminating a serum sample aspirated by the needle of a probe using light emitted from a light emitting diode. This device analyzes the existence of hemolysis, icteris, and lipemia a serum sample in a needle by illuminating the serum sample in a needle with light of five different wavelengths emitted from five light emitting diodes. When hemolysis, icteris or lipemia present in the serum sample exceeds a predetermined value, the probe is moved to a position corresponding to a waste container, and the serum sample aspirated in the needle is disposed of in the waste container. Conversely, when hemolysis, icteris or lipemia present in the serum sample is less than a predetermined value, the probe is moved to a position corresponding to a clinical analysis device, the serum sample aspirated in the needle is moved to a container of the clinical analysis device and optically measured (main measurement) by the clinical analysis device.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,468 disadvantageously requires the provision of a light source separate from the five light emitting diodes for illuminating the serum sample within the needle of the probe when performing an optical measurement (main measurement) by the clinical analysis device. As a result, the size of the device is enlarged by the addition of the light source for performing the optical measurement by the clinical analysis device.
Moreover, when the light source for illuminating the serum sample accommodated in the container of the clinical analysis device is provided separately from the five light emitting diodes, light from that light source differs in quality from the light of the light emitting diodes that illuminate the serum sample within the needle of the probe, and that different quality light from that separate light source illuminates the serum sample in the container of the clinical analysis device. Therefore, the estimation as to whether or not to perform a measurement (main measurement) using the clinical analysis device must be completed based on the results of the measurements using light of different quality from that of the light used in the main measurement (probe measurement results). The reliability of such an estimation is not necessarily high. There is, therefore, a possibility that a sample that is measurable by the clinical analysis device may be disposed of prior to being moved to the clinical analysis device. As a result, there is less serum sample available for analysis in the main measurement.